What a privilege to meet the formidable Greta Thunberg. I gave her first look at the @GUENGL Climate manifesto and then we had a quick chat about who has the best trains. Surprise Surprise it's not Ireland! #ClimateEmergencypic.twitter.com/ftIRWTy7mq

THE SIXTEEN-YEAR-OLD SWEDISH climate change activist Greta Thunberg addressed the European Parliament’s environment committee to tell them to use “cathedral-thinking” in tackling climate change.

At one point during an impassioned speech, Thunberg became visibly upset when she listed how humans were causing “climate economical breakdown”, such as deforestation, air pollution, the extinction of animals and the acidification of oceans.

Accusing world leaders of being too relaxed in tackling climate change, she said that she wants leaders to panic, evoking an image of a house on fire.

“A great number of politicians have told me that panic never leads to anything good, but when your house is on fire, then that does require some level of panic,” she said.

But when your house is on fire and you want to keep your house from burning to the ground, then that does require some level of panic.

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Speaking about the fire that destroyed the main roof and spire of the Notre Dame cathedral, Thunberg said that “Notre Dame will be rebuilt, I hope its foundations are strong, I hope that our foundations are even stronger, but I fear they are not.”

If our house was falling apart, our leaders wouldn’t go on like the way they do today [in tackling climate change]. You would change everything you do.